Who the All-Star reserves should be

The coaches votes are in and the NBA All-Star reserves will be announced Thursday.

Will they get it right? We break down how we see this year's team shaping up.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

BACKCOURT

Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors

Crazy as it sounds, Thompson may not have made this team if not for his 37-point quarter against the Sacramento Kings last week. But his offensive explosion (52 points in all that night) commanded the sort of spotlight that he has been deserving of all season, and it would be a major surprise if he doesn't make the coaches' cut.

Not only is Thompson one of the best perimeter defenders in the game, he's a deadly shooter (his 45.8% mark from three-point range is second only to the Atlanta Hawks' Kyle Korver among players who average at least four attempts) who has drastically improved his game going to the rim. His 23 points per game is leading the Warriors in scoring.

James Harden, Houston Rockets

LeBron James is coming on fast in the MVP race, but Harden has been neck and neck with the Warriors' Stephen Curry on that front all season. His scoring (27.6 points per game) not only leads the league, but is a career-high for the two-time All-Star. His three-point efficiency is right there with Curry (38.5% compared to 39.6% entering Tuesday), with both marks extremely impressive considering the volume of threes taken (both average seven per game).

Add in the fact that he's Houston's primary playmaker (team-leading 6.8 assists, with point guard Patrick Beverley a distant second at 3.2 per game), and you start to see why he's a no-brainer. It doesn't stop there, though: his defense that was a point of such scrutiny last season has improved significantly (Houston – despite a slew of injuries this season – have the fifth-rated defense after being just 12th last season).

FRONTCOURT

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trailblazers

The three-time All-Star has been of the most creative and confident scorers in the game yet again this season (sixth in the league at 22.3 points per game), doing it inside and out in the kinds of ways that would have worked in any generation. His chemistry with fellow All-Star Damian Lillard and the rest of this under-the-radar Blazers lot is huge.

Now Aldridge's likely All-Star nomination comes with this impressive subplot: the shocking decision to play through a serious thumb injury. Aldridge was expected to miss six to eight weeks with the torn ligament in his left thumb, but decided to play through it and have the surgery in the summer after the long playoff run that he hopes they'll have.

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

Yes, he has missed 25 of the Thunder's 46 games because of injuries (most of them – the first 17, to be exact – because of the Jones fracture in his right foot). But the reigning MVP has still played like himself when he has been on the floor.

He's producing at a similar rate to last season while seeing his numbers dip mostly because coach Scott Brooks has lessened his load (33.1 minutes per game this season compared to 38.5 minutes per last season). If anything, the Thunder's struggles while Durant and fellow should-be All-Star Russell Westbrook were out only served as reminders of their immense value.

DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings

If the Kings could ever find a way to become a winning team, Cousins would be a shoo-in All-Star every time and a possible MVP candidate. But to his credit, he found a way to put up the kind of gaudy individual numbers that should make it impossible to keep him off the team this time around- even with Sacramento's 16-27 record that looks even worse when one considers that they were 9-6 early before the poorly-timed firing of coach Michael Malone.

Cousins, whose scoring (24.2 points per game) is fourth in the league and whose rebounding (12.6 per) is third, is quickly becoming known as the best center in the game when it comes to his impact and skill-set. Beyond the offensive arsenal, he's a talented passer (career-high 3.2 assists per game) and an improved defender to boot. If only his midseason bout with viral meningitis hadn't robbed him of 10 games.

WILD CARDS

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

Like Durant, Westbrook missed significant time this season (14 games with a broken hand). But in terms of overall impact, it doesn't get much better than this: Westbrook is the only player in the NBA currently averaging at least 24 points per game (24.7), at least six rebounds (he's at six) and at least seven assists per game (he's at 7.6).

James (26.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists per) is right there, but Westbrook – who is also the head of the Thunder defense that is rated eighth in the NBA - has been tremendous.

Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

Even with Steve Ballmer's passion and penchant for screaming, the Clippers have gone about their business quietly in their first season under the new owner. But Paul's game is loud as ever – aggressive on both ends, dynamic in almost every facet, and still some of the best point guard play on the planet.

His Clippers lead the NBA in offensive rating (109.4 points scored per 100 possessions), with Paul's playmaking (third in the league in assists per game at 9.8) playing the biggest part. His scoring is down marginally from last season (19.1 points per to 17.4), but such is life when you have the bevy of scoring options that are at his disposal.

INJURY REPLACEMENT (the Lakers' Kobe Bryant was voted in, but is out for the season with a shoulder injury)

Damian Lillard, Portland Trailblazers

In this NBA era in which the point guard play is nothing short of exceptional, it's no small feat that Lillard has played well enough to deserve his second All-Star spot in just his third season. Cliché though it may be, he truly is the heart and soul of a Blazers team that is currently third in the brutal Western Conference.

The clutch shooting, relentless scoring (career-high 22 points per game), and playmaking (team-leading 6.2 assists per game) are vital in the Portland offense.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

BACKCOURT

Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls

Butler's improvement has been a sight to see, from the drastic increase in his offensive production (13.1 points per game last season to 20.1 this season) to the fact that he's still considered one of the best perimeter defenders around.

The Bulls couldn't come to terms with Butler on an extension before the Oct. 31 deadline, but the max money that he was seeking then will likely be coming his way from Chicago when Butler becomes a restricted free agent this summer.

Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

Playing in LeBron James' shadow was a good problem to have for Wade the past few years, but the 33-year-old has made the most of being back in the alpha-dog role again with his pal off in Cleveland.

Wade's scoring (21.4 points per) is his highest since the 2011-12 season, and his playmaking (5.4 assists per) is his highest since 2009-10.

FRONTCOURT

Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks

The Spurs have been paying the price for having a balanced attack for years, with players being overlooked for accomplishments because their individual statistics just aren't as gaudy as those of their All-Star caliber contemporaries. Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer knows this, having spent so many years in San Antonio as an assistant. Still, that doesn't make it right.

As such, players like Millsap (17 points, 7.9 rebounds per game), center Al Horford (15.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.4 blocks per) and point guard Jeff Teague (17.1 points, 7.5 assists per) all deserve to be here because of the huge part they've played in Atlanta's incredible start. And because the East's talent pool simply isn't as deep as that of the West's, the good news is that they should have a home here when the coaches' votes are tallied.

Chris Bosh, Miami Heat

The 12th-year pro has talked at length about the sacrifices he made when James was in town, and the reward of winning two titles certainly made it all worth it. But as is the case with Wade, James' departure has allowed him to return to his dominant ways.

Bosh hasn't been this prolific of a scorer (21.3 points per) since his last season in Toronto, and the evolution of his three-point skills (37.3% on a career-high average of 3.8 attempts per game) has played a big part. In Bosh's first 10 seasons, he never averaged more than one three-point attempt per game.

Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks

*See Paul Millsap

WILDCARDS

Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks

*See Paul Millsap

Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers

It took a while, but the Irving, James and the Cavs seem to have figured things out in Cleveland.

Irving has had his struggles making the drastic adjustments that come with playing next to James and having to yield the lead-guard duties so often, but he's still turning in an All-Star caliber year (21.3 points, 5.2 assists per).